Sleepless
by ripitupgenki
Summary: What happens if a nightmare becomes reality? Will the group be able to fight something as powerful as the phoenix? GxH pairing


_AAN: couldn't get into writing any chapters so I decided to deviate to this in an attempt to get the creative juices flowing._

**Sleepless**

Genki woke with a start, the dream he had the previous night still haunting him. He panted as sweat rolled down his face wondering what time with was, trying to push the images from his mind. Part of him wanted to discuss it with someone but he didn't dare. He wasn't sure they would understand what he was seeing. With a heavy sigh he rose and walked to the near by lake to clear his mind. Splashing his face he sighed again. He hadn't gotten much sleep lately because of this dream, he was so tired but didn't want to rest again because he thought the dream would come back again. Holly had noticed each time he woke from his nightmare; she hadn't said anything to him because she figured it was just a one night thing but now she was concerned. She rose and walked in the direction he had gone. It didn't take her long to find him staring into the lakes glassy surface. He seemed exhausted and distressed. She walked over to him quietly; he saw her and glanced back at her. She could see just how tired he was in his eyes. She sat down beside him without a word; she knew he would talk to her on his own. After a few minutes Genki finally sighed and spoke,

"You don't have to stay up with me you know…"

"I know. I'm worried about you." she glanced over at him, "you need to rest Genki."

"I know…" he threw a flat rock a crossed the surface of the lake. It skipped a few times then sank into the waters depths. "I wish I could sleep…"

"Genki, you know I'm here to help if you want it."

"I know. I just didn't want to bother you with this…"

"If it's causing you that much trouble then you should talk to someone." he threw another stone, Holly watched it with curiosity. She didn't know how to skip stones; having had other chores to do she never played with the other kids much. After a few more minutes Genki finally made his decision.

"Well… I'm not even sure how to tell you about it."

"Just tell me what you think is important. Take your time." he nodded then gazed at the night sky.

"Well it starts fairly normal with us journeying and getting attacked by baddies. But then something changes, I see us surrounded by fire, the monsters trying to protect us but dying in the process. The fire itself seems alive, after a bit it takes the form of a monster. I can't see it; it just looks like a shadow. I tried to fight it only to end up on the ground, it feels like my body is burning up but there are no flames. I see the monster go after you, unable to do anything to protect you, as I can't stand." he stopped there not wanting to say anything further just yet. Holly waited she knew there was more, she could tell by how he was acting.

"Go on Genki." she spoke softly, she noticed him hesitate. Her hand found it's way to his to bring some comfort. He blushed then nodded understanding.

"The next thing I see is us in some strange room. I feel weak and see the monster has us both trapped. He comes in and sneers at us both, he then begins hurting you. He's saying something but I can't hear him. Its like he's after information. Then he…" he stops again, she can see tears in his eyes and realizes this is harder on him then she first thought. She squeezes his hand reassuringly, he glances over at her with a look of fear but it doesn't last long. Finally he sighs again, "He starts raping you… there is nothing I can do to stop it. I hear him say that he will do anything to get the information. But I don't know what he wants. After awhile he torments me then smirks at me. Taking a syringe he injects me with something. I feel very hot and weak all the sudden. He unchains me and brings me over to you, and forces me to…" he stopped, tears flowing down his cheeks. Holly knew this time he would not speak on his own. She moves her hand from his in favor of pulling him into an embrace. He cried into her shoulder unable to stop the tears now. It hurt him to dream such things; he never wanted to see her hurt in anyway. Holly comforted him for a while before asking her question.

"He forces you to rape me doesn't he?" her voice soft and gentle, but even with that Genki ends up sobbing a little harder.

"Yeah… its like I wasn't in control of my own body…." she almost missed his words as they were hidden in his sobs but now she understood why he 'd been so distressed that past couple of day. * _It must be torture for him to dream something like that_. *

"Genki was it the same dream each time?"

"Yes…" he still clung to her not sure what else to do. Holly knew that dreams could have meaning especially dreams that repeated. * _If this is a vision then we are in real trouble… I'm not sure how but we need to talk to the others. Even if they don't know about the second part they need to know of the first._ * Holly gave him some time to recover. After awhile his tears stopped and he relaxed in her arms. He seemed content to stay with her like this.

"Genki we need to talk to the others. Your dream could have meaning. Even if you don't tell them the second part we need to discuss the first with them. If this is a vision then it might save their lives." she felt him nod,

"Alright… we'll do that… I'm not sure I could tell them the second part… its so hard…" he stopped, she felt him tense slightly. With a sigh she stroked his back gently,

"Genki its alright, I'm not upset with you. I'm glad you told me, it makes me happy that you trust me enough to talk to me even when its hard for you." he remained silent a moment then slowly relaxed again.

"Thank you Holly…"

"Your welcome… do you think you can sleep?"

"I'm not sure…"

"I'll let you rest with me if it'll help. I'm worried about you… you seem to zone out and nearly pass out when you don't rest properly." he pulled back in alarm,

"But Suezo will…"

"I will deal with him." she smiled to him but he could see she was dead serious.

"If you are sure it's alright…." he blushed, she noted it but said nothing.

"I am," he nodded; Holly helped him up and walked back with him. She picked up her sleeping bag and moved it to a near by tree, she sat down and had him join her. He leaned against her falling asleep as soon as he closed his eyes. She smiled covering them both with her sleeping bag. She then leaned her head back against the tree and began to think about what he had told her. * _A monster made of fire? Those are rare… I wonder what it could be? I also wonder what it wants… after all he said it wanted information…_ * she glanced down at the sleeping boy then sighed. * _I guess I can discuss it with the others later_ * she let herself rest knowing Suezo would be a handful in the morning.

* * *

><p>Tiger was the first to rise that morning, he expected to see Holly up and around but instead he found her leaning against a tree with Genki sleeping next to her. He knew that she was worried about the boy. He carefully walked over to her and nudged her awake. Her eyes fluttered open tiredly and she looked around to find the source for the touch. Seeing Tiger she smiled, she knew he would atleast listen to what she had to say.<p>

"Holly is everything alright?"

"Not exactly. Genki has been having a reoccurring nightmare. It's the same each time…"

"Are you thinking it might be a vision?"

"Its possible. If it is then it's troubling. He's seeing us getting captured and all of you being killed. He was too afraid to sleep alone, not that I can blame him."

"Wait we were being killed?"

"Yeah… he didn't say exactly how but he said all of you died trying to protect us. Then some sort of fire monster captured us. It wanted information but he didn't know what it wanted."

"That's odd…."

"Yeah, I'm not sure how much he remembers but maybe he can tell us more about how we end up getting attacked by this creature."

"I hope so."

"It is a dream though, they are not always very detailed." Hare had over heard them and now had to put his input into the conversation.

"I know… I hope he saw enough to help us." Holly sighed she knew this wouldn't be easy for him to talk about. It was then that she noticed that Suezo was up. His jaw dropped and he was about to yell. Holly gave him 'the look' and simply stated, "don't even start Suezo." Tiger and Hare blinked surprised at Holly's low tolerance for the eyeball this morning. She was usually gentle and never wanted conflict but today she seemed to be too worried to care if she had to put her foot down with Suezo. The eyestalk closed his mouth with a frown, he knew there had a be a good reason behind it if Holly was acting that dead serious. Finally he got brave enough to ask what was up,

"Holly is something wrong with him?" she shook her head,

"Not physically. It seems his nightmare might be a vision. If it is then we are all in danger."

"Then I guess we better figure out what our next move will be then." she glanced to her monster and nodded.

* * *

><p>They let the boy sleep awhile longer, knowing he hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days. Genki woke leaned against the tree; he remembered Holly had been with him that night. He glanced over to find her drinking some tea and chatting with the others. It was nearly noon and he guessed she had stopped the others from bothering him. Genki rose slowly feeling a headache coming on. Holly glanced over and smiled,<p>

"Your up, that's great. I have some stew for you." he nodded, and then looked to Hare who seemed to be pondering something.

"Holly do you have any medicine for a headache?"

"Yeah, just give me a second." walked over to her bag to rummage through it a bit. Coming back with a salve, she brushed his bangs out of the way and applied it to his temples. "It'll take a little bit to work."

"Alright, thanks." He sat down and took the bowl Hare offered him. He ate somewhat restrained though he should be really hungry he wasn't. This worried the others; they hadn't seen him act like this before.

"Genki, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah… just really tired. I'll be fine in a bit." she nodded then made him some tea. She added a few spices and some honey to it. Though she knew he wasn't a fan of sweetened tea she figured he would drink it if she referred to it like a medicine. He took a sip then glanced to her,

"Just think of it as medicine, it'll help you get some of your strength back." he sighed and nodded. He finished the cup then let her refill it with regular tea. After a little while the group turned to him, he knew they were up to something and he suspected Holly had told them part of his nightmare.

"Genki my boy, Holly tells us you have been having a pretty nasty nightmare that might actually be a vision."

"A vision?" he glanced to Holly.

"Reoccurring dreams often have meaning Genki. I am just worried this might be the case."

"I see… yes I have had a nightmare the past couple of days."

"Well kid can you tell us anything we can watch out for. Like what monsters attack us, how, where, or even about the fire monster?" he nodded then glanced around seeing worried faces.

"Well I know we are in a meadow when we get attacked, there were some salamanders with the baddies crest, but they are lead by a titan."

"A titan?"

"Yeah, it seemed odd to me too. But that's what I saw. There was some sort of a rocky outcropping in the background but I couldn't make it out…" he paused a moment thinking, "as far as the fire goes, that starts because of the salamanders but its after the salamanders are defeated that it flares to life like a living creature. It takes the form of a monster but I have no clue what it is. Its build reminds me of a Durhan but its head is wrong and it has wings. The odd part is its made of blue fire."

"Blue fire?" Hare seemed very surprised.

"Yeah, I don't know of any monster with blue fire…. atleast no normal monster. There is one but I didn't think there were any hybrids created with it."

"Which one is it Genki?"

"I have only seen it once. A rival of mine had one. It was a blue phoenix. They are said to be nasty and very violent. This thing was nearly impossible to beat; I lost the tournament. My monster was nowhere near this ones power level. I know there is a phoenix Durhan hybrid called a Gurada but I don't know if there is one with a blue phoenix."

"If there is then its bad news." Tiger growled,

"Wait can we become the phoenix and beat it that way?" Suezo asked.

"Maybe but I'm not sure of the differences between the phoenix and the blue phoenix."

"Are there any other phoenixes besides this one Genki?" Mocchi seemed very interested now.

"Yes, Cinder Bird is a phoenix and there is also something called a Death Wing."

"Death wing? That doesn't sound to friendly." Suezo commented unable to resist.

"Supposedly it's a very sad phoenix made of negative emotions but it doesn't hurt people. They just aren't pleasant to be around." Genki shrugged, "I only know what the bio's say I don't know if they are accurate or not. I know it was hit and miss with you guys."

"You mean we don't fit the bio's for our breed?" Tiger frowned.

"Some of you do, others don't. And some of it fits for the most part but not entirely. But I'm sure every monster is different so nothing is ever fully accurate."

"It was a game in your world right?" Hare asked now very interest.

"Yeah, the game its self was limited. Though the monsters were each a little different, eventually you would get repeating personalities. It used a random number generator as I recall to assign the attack, defense, and what not. Each one had a range that it would fit in. but eventually because of the range limit it would begin to repeat. The personality type was assigned the same way I think; it's just a guess on my part though. I don't know how to program a game yet…. though I would like to learn some day."

"So what were some differences?" Hare asked now curious.

"Well Suezo for example. The game bio had him using more int attacks than pow attacks. But our Suezo does the opposite. Also the ones in the game tended to be more… focused then ours." Genki sweat dropped laughing slightly as the others looked over at Suezo who was blushing.

"Int and pow attacks huh?"

"Int stands for intelligence, usually long range attacks like Tiger's lightning or teleport. Pow is for power, those are more like tail attack and Hare's machine gun punch." the group stared at Suezo again who was now irritated.

"Are you calling me stupid Genki?"

"No… it's not your intelligence that's the problem. Its that you can't focus." Suezo sighed and pouted as Holly sweat dropped, she knew it was true.

"Anything else Genki?"

"Yeah… like pixie most pixies in the game are very weak physically and easy to take down if you can get close to them. They are fast, agile, and use mostly int attacks. But the pixie we met was physically strong and used quite a few pow moves as well as int, her defense seemed better too. As Granity that's become more apparent." Granity had over heard their conversation and was eves dropping, knowing that Genki felt that way about her gave her some pride. He really was a nice boy and a great friend. The fact that she had a slight crush on him made her even more proud of his view of her. She longed to tell him but she wasn't sure he would be interested. He was young, that and there was Holly. Granity often wondered if the two would ever get together or if they were only friends at heart. Staying quiet for now she would wait for a good opportunity to meet up with them with out making them suspicious of her.

"Sounds like there are a lot of differences then…" Hare trailed off thinking.

"Yeah, that's why I can't be sure of what this creature is or if what I know is right about it." Genki noticed Holly seemed both puzzled and worried, a combination he didn't recognize at first.

"Well we need to figure out what to do before anything troublesome happens." Suezo said at length, the group agreed with him on that. Granity decided to go check a few things out before she met up with them, she knew they were slow moving and she would find them easily when she wanted to do such.

* * *

><p>By the time evening came the group had made some progress, though moving carefully they managed to keep up a rather brisk pace. Genki was still impressed by Holly's stamina, he would never had guess when they first met that she would be able to keep up with the group so well. It was usually Suezo or Mocchi holding them back. Though Golem was large he easily kept up with his massive stride to aid him. Holly helped pick out a good spot for camp and set about her normal chores as she boys set up the rest of camp. Granity easily found the group and came in for a graceful landing as Holly looked on. She wondered what the pixie hybrid was up to. She had a suspicion that Granity really liked Genki and possible considered herself his monster but she had no proof to support this. Granity noticed the human girl watching and merely nodded to her. She walked over to speak with her knowing the human was curious.<p>

"I see you have made quite a bit of progress since was last saw each other."

"Yes, atleast this time we won't have to worry about metalner causing problems."

"True." the pixie hybrid watched as Holly tested the stew she was making then added a few more ingredients. "I came to find you cause I found something troubling ahead of you."

"Really?" Holly seemed surprised by the news, but then she didn't know Granity had been eavesdropping earlier.

"While flying by I saw a village surrounded by salamanders, they seemed to be lead by a Titan. I also noticed the Titan carried a staff with a blue flame burning at its tip. He seemed to be able to use the fire to attack people. They have injured some of the villagers but I didn't see any dead yet." she noticed Holly pale a little at this news but she could understand considering the circumstances. "I figured you'd want to know, atleast then you won't be jumping into something unexpected."

"Thank you Granity." the girl gave her a genuine smile, and then went back to cooking. "Will you stay for some dinner?"

"If I get some this time." the pixie hybrid smirked a little with a small chuckle.

"You will don't worry." Holly handed her a bowl of stew and had some in hand before she called the boys for dinner. They stopped and stared at Granity when they noticed her, but then went about eating anyway.

"What brings you here Granity?" Genki was the first to ask; he hadn't realized how stealthy the pixie hybrid really was till now.

"Figured I would drop by and say hi. I was north of here and noticed a bit of commotion at a village ahead of you. Decided to turn around and let you know about it."

"So you saw us earlier?"

"Yes, I was on my way to check something out at the time so I didn't stop then." she would never admit to spying on them but she knew they wouldn't question her anyway.

"You said there was commotion at a village ahead of us?" Hare asked rather intrigued.

"Yes, some salamanders seemed to be causing problems. They had already hurt several villagers though none have died yet it's only a matter of time. Their leader was a Titan with a unique staff. It held blue fire, which he seemed to be able to control. I've never seen anything like it." she noticed Genki turned pale at he mention of this and the monsters turned to look at him. Granity watched him somewhat confused,

"It wasn't in a meadow was it? Near a rock formation?" Granity had only heard some of the conversation about being attacks she had not heard the details of vision. She furrowed her brow in puzzlement.

"Yes actually, the village is located in a large meadow and there are some rock formations near by…. how did you know…"

"I had a dream… well more of a night mare…." he trailed off not finishing.

"We think it was a vision, based on the accuracy here I would say it was." Hare began to ponder what to do.

"Now we know what it was for." Tiger stated, "but how do we avoid the out come that he saw?"

"What was the out come?" Granity asked,

"All the monsters dying and Genki and I being taken prisoner." Holly spoke up. She knew Genki wouldn't say anything about it at this point.

"That's not good…" the pixie hybrid said at length. "Was I in it?"

"No, I only saw them." Genki indicated his monster friends. "Perhaps that's one way of changing the out come. If someone is there that wasn't originally…"

"I get ya, then the out come will change."

"Can you tell me what happened in the original out come?"

"We were attacked by the salamanders and the Titan. We won against the salamanders but blue fire engulfed us. After a bit it took the form of a monster made of fire. The monsters died trying to defend us, and we were taken captive by the creature. It wanted some information but… I never heard what it wanted."

"A monster made of blue fire?" Granity sounded as mystified as the rest, "well I don't know what to tell you on that but I am willing to help you."

"Thank you Granity." she merely nodded her head to the boy, she knew he was relieved to have her help.

"We should… get some rest… we will need it…" Golem stated knowing the group was tired from their quick pace and longer then normal journey for the day. The group settled down for the night, Genki found himself next to Holly who had her own sleeping bag. Tiger joined them lying down next to the boy being protective. Genki smiled knowing his friends would always be there for him. He hoped it would be enough to ward off any more bad dreams.

* * *

><p>The morning sun found most of the group still sleeping; Holly and Granity were the only ones awake. Genki had managed to sleep though the night much to Holly's relief. Holly set about making breakfast as Granity took off to scout ahead. When the group finally woke breakfast was ready and Granity had returned.<p>

"I did some scouting." she announced getting everyone attention. "They are still in the same place as before. I don't think they plan to leave anytime soon."

"Then we need to figure out how to win against them before we reach them." Tiger spoke knowing the others were all thinking it. They all nodded then got ready for their long trek.

* * *

><p>By the end of the day everyone but Granity was really tired. They were still over a days walk away and yet had no plan. This bothered Genki the most as he was the one who had witnessed the possible future events. Genki found himself encircled by the others with Holly at his side. Granity seemed mildly amused by this, and moved over to join Golem for the night. He blushed as she settled down and leaned against him. It was obvious that he found Granity attractive. Suezo was completely upset by now, as he was jealous that the voluptuous pixie hybrid wouldn't stay near him at all. Holly shot him a glare and he settled right down. She always hated the eyestalks way of falling in love with any beautiful woman or monster. He was such a flake when it came to women. Genki found himself in a strange dream realm shortly after falling asleep. To his surprise he heard a voice call out to him.<p>

_~ Genki… ~ _

"Who's there?"

_~ It is I ~_ the phoenix appeared in a burst of fire making Genki shield his eyes.

"Phoenix?" Genki stared in awe of the wondrous firebird. "Why are you here? I know you wouldn't just show up to say hi."

~ _You are correct; I am here for a reason. You seem to be in a bit of a bind._ ~

"Yeah… I'm not sure what to do at this point. I want to run the other way knowing the danger but I don't want to abandon those people either." Genki sighed heavily it was obvious this dilemma was really weighing on him. The phoenix nodded his understanding. Moving his wing out he placed it on the boys shoulder. A feeling of security and strength washed over Genki.

~ _I know your heart well Genki. You are brave and never wish to let harm come to others if it can be helped. And I understand you are terrified of what lies ahead. Please heed my advice, head to the village. The Titan will send the salamanders after you first. When you fight him believe in my power and have courage. Do no fear his flames I shall protect you. Your faith and courage needs to be unwavering for my power to fully work, and you and Holly must be united. You are both keys to this; you will need her strength and power._ ~ Genki blinked, caught off guard by this advice.

"Wait so Holly has more power then just with the magic stones? And what do you mean by united?" the great bird chuckled his flames wavering in laugher,

~ _Yes she has only touched the tip of her power. She has not tried to dig deeper yet._ ~ He paused a moment thinking, _~ your hearts must be united, and you must completely trust each other. If she will not speak up when she disagrees then you are not united. Make sure she feels that she can talk to you about anything, and you must feel the same way. Do these things and you will have the power to defeat this new enemy._ ~ The phoenix flapped his mighty wings rising into the air.

"Phoenix what do we do once we are united?"

_~ You will know when the time comes… just trust in me._ ~ With that he disappeared leaving Genki to wonder what Holly would think of this conversation. But this left a whole new question in his mind. *_ How do I talk to her about this? And should the others know? _* Thanks to his dream Genki woke early, he didn't feel tired though, the phoenix's touch seemed to have refreshed his body as well as his spirit. He found everyone was still asleep. Glancing beside him he found Holly sleeping peacefully, she always looked adorable in her sleep but Genki would never admit to thinking that. He rose carefully and grabbed his stuff to take a bath. Sinking into the cool water made him feel much better. Now his thoughts drifted to his task ahead and how to become united with Holly.

* * *

><p>Holly woke a short while later finding Genki missing; she glanced to his pack and noticed his bathing supplies were missing. She hadn't heard him cry out but she wondered if another nightmare had come. A frown formed on her face as she remembered how he reacted to telling her about it the first time. Holly walked off towards the near by river, she knew he would have gone there so he wouldn't wake the others. She found him relaxing in the cool water, his back against a rock. Knowing he was alright made her feel better. She walked out into the open giving him a smile; he returned it with a mild blush on his face. He noticed her head for his clothes and knew she was planning to wash them.<p>

"You don't have to do that you know, I can wash them."

"You left soap in them last time." she giggled as he turned red.

"It wasn't that bad…" he mumbled, she just smiled and set about washing them for him.

"Genki why are you up so early? Did you have another nightmare?"

"Not a nightmare… but it was interesting…" he trailed off not sure how exactly to go about telling her what he knew. She glanced over at him now in puzzlement.

"How was it interesting?" she waited patiently knowing he needed time to think,

"Well… the phoenix talked to me… he gave me some advice as he called it. And he told me that we need to head for that village. That if we have unwavering faith in his power then we won't lose to the titan or the fire monster…." he trailed off again not sure how to tell her the second part. Holly had stopped mid wring to look at him, she couldn't believe the phoenix had directly spoken with him.

"The phoenix told you this?"

"Yes…"

"Then we need to tell the others!" Genki saw her quickly wring his clothes out and go hang them up. He moved quickly not wanting her to tell them yet. He grabbed his towel throwing it on, he caught her hand before she could head off.

"Wait… please…" Holly turned red knowing he was only in his towel,

"Genki you shouldn't…."

"Its fine I trust you… there's more you need to know…" she turned slowly looking at him with confusion.

"More?"

"Yeah… the phoenix also told me that we are the keys to making this work and that I would need your strength and power in order to stop this fire monster…"

"What does my ability with the magic stones have to do with this?" she interrupted becoming increasingly perplexed. He sighed,

"Look he told me the power you use right now is only the beginning of what you can do. Your power runs deeper then just the stones, apparently you have other abilities you have not accessed yet." Holly felt faint from this news; she of all people had more power? He noticed her waver a bit and took hold of her holding her from behind, his arms wrapped around her. He blushed heavily from this but he knew this wouldn't be easy on her either. Holly snapped out of her thoughts and realized what he had done. "You all right?" his voice sounded so concerned, yet the heat of his breath on her neck made her shiver. A blush crept to her cheeks as she nodded,

"Yes… I just felt faint for a moment."

"You need to sit down?" he didn't want to let go of her but he wouldn't have her falling over either.

"I'm fine…"

"I'm glad… there is one more thing he told me we must do…" he paused a moment, "he told me the you and I must be united, he went on to say it's a unity of the heart and that we must trust each other completely…though he wouldn't tell me what we were to do. He only said we would know when the time came." Holly's blush worsened at his words. * _United at heart what could that mean?_ *

"Genki… he wants us to completely trust each other?"

"Yes, but we must also completely trust him as well." Holly was slightly tense feeling a bit vulnerable with Genki so close to her. She felt desires course though her that only he could awaken. She had always kept them in check before, but then he wasn't touching her at the time. Genki slowly let go helping Holly to sit down. He took a seat next to her, placing his hand on hers in a form of comfort. "Its alright… I know it's a bit of a shock… I felt the same way when he told me. But then I realized you and I do trust each other for the most part, maybe not to that level but we do trust one another." she nodded, his words making sense.

"So we just need to trust each other a bit more... and we'll be fine right?"

"That's what I was thinking." Holly blushed again realizing that Genki was still in just a towel.

"You should dress…"

"I would if my clothes were dry…." he too blushed profusely; "I trust you not to look anyway…" his voice soft and gentle. She stared at him a moment then nodded,

"Thank you…" she just smiled as she thought, *_ would I trust him like that? Probably not… but should I? _* "Hey Holly… do you want the others to know about what the phoenix said?"

"Some of it… not all…" he nodded,

"Are you willing to give it a try? I mean it might be our best strategy…."

"Yes, I will try it. I will trust you Genki… but it won't happen overnight you know… not that level…"

"I know what you mean… that means we have to stay here till we can do what the phoenix needs us to."

"Yeah… but how do we get the others to go along with it?"

"We can say its training… we can always tell them about you power and I can help you bring it out. That should keep them at bay…"

"That might just work… not sure about Suezo though…"

"I'm sure Granity can help with him…." both envisioned the poor pixie type zapping him after he tries to kiss her and sweat dropping.

"I'm sure she can handle him… but would she want to."

"I'll talk to her… she seems to listen to me."

"I really think she considers herself your monster."

"Really?"

"Yeah… atleast that's how it seems."

"I'll have to keep that in mind… maybe I can figure it out for sure." he shrugged and glanced over at his still dripping shorts. They remained quiet for a moment, Holly sighed and finally broke the ice again.

"Genki you never told me about your family… would you be willing to tell me?"

"Yeah." he smiled, "what would you like to know?"

"Well just what are they like and what do they do for a living?"

"Well mom works as a teacher, which is why I'm always in trouble for not doing my school work." he laughed nervously, "but she knows I will do it before class starts the next day, so it's not that big of a deal. She's really caring and loves to teach people, she also loves to bake things for people. There's always cookies or something around the house because of that." her noticed Holly watching him intently and guessed she must be really interested in his home. "My step dad works for a factory, he manages the shipments of parts out of the plant. Making sure they get to where the need to be going. His days are long and he is usually really tired by the time I see him but we do have a lot of fun together on the weekends." Holly's face had changed to a look of puzzlement, but she didn't say anything just yet. "The other member of my family is my little brother. He's about 3 years younger then me… mom said she was scared she'd have another like me…" he laughed again, "but he's more laid back and reserved. He doesn't talk to anyone he doesn't know usually, so he doesn't meet new people very well. Be he has some good friends."

"Genki… you said your step dad… does that mean he's not your father?"

"He is by marriage, and I really like him, but he's not my birth father no."

"What happened to him?" she noticed a look of sorrow enter Genki's eyes,

"He made some bad choices… though its rare for anyone to divorce in my country, my mom divorced him after he came home drunk and not only injured me and my mother but tried to hurt my younger brother as well. I haven't seen him since the hearings but I do know my mom got a call about him being the hospital… I'm sure it was alcohol poisoning."

"She didn't tell you?"

"No… she wants nothing to do with him… it's a very painful memory for her…" Holly nodded her understanding, * _wow I never would have guessed he would have gone through so much and yet be so outgoing all the time._ *

"Then that scar you have is from…"

"Yeah… that's where he tagged me with the knife. He wasn't aiming very well thank god… his being drunk made it hard for him to even get us. My older half sister unfortunately is just like him."

"Half sister?"

"He was cheating on my mom… apparently for a long while before mom noticed… but his job kept us from noticing because he was out on the road so much." he shrugged, "I don't really know her… I only know that she has been in and out of jail for about 2 years now."

"Genki… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have…" looked down feeling bad now.

"Its alright, I told you because I trust you and I really did need to talk to someone… its strange but I have always found it really easy to talk to you." she glanced back at him in surprise the smiled,

"Thank you… I'm glad you feel you can talk to me."

"Holly can I ask you something?"

"Sure its only fair." she smiled to him,

"Well… Suezo told us not to ask but I have always been curious… what was your mother like? You only briefly mentioned her before…" he saw Holly grow solemn and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Well she was a kind woman who was always helping others, she had a stubborn side though. I'm told I'm a lot like her in some ways. She died when I was young, we don't know what caused her death though. The doctors were never able to figure it out."

"Holly I'm sorry…"

"Its alright, we both have painful memories… but I trust you too Genki. You can ask me anything… I will always talk to you." he just smiled hearing her say that, he made him feel great knowing she trusted him that much. But he wondered just how would they get to the level of trust they needed. "Say Genki… you said it was a unity of the heart right?"

"Yeah, apparently he noticed that when you disagreed with me you didn't speak up. He said we should both trust each other with anything, knowing the other will try to help." Holly seemed shocked to know the phoenix watched over them and knew so much.

"I have held back a few times. But then… I was wrong anyway so I didn't think it mattered."

"You know your opinion always matters Holly. Did you think it would cause a fight just cause you disagreed?"

"That and I thought I might offend you."

"Nah, I doubt you could manage that." he laughed making her give him a look of uncertainty. "Besides you are the voice of reason in our group. I know I get carried away and we almost die at times because of it. Your input might have helped create a better plan with less risk." he grinned at her as she looked confused a moment before smiling to him.

"I understand… you right… I will tell you when I disagree from now on."

"Good." he grinned to her once again, Genki rose and check on his clothes, finding them pretty much dry he walked of to redress. Holly remained where she was still blushing. He came back and helped her to her feet; out of an impulse he pulled her into a hug. Holly slowly returned it, feeling better now that he was dressed. "Thank you for listening Holly."

"Your welcome Genki…" her voice very soft and gentle.

* * *

><p>Holly walked off towards camp, Genki followed after picking up his stuff. He put his things away, letting his towel dry as Holly made breakfast. Genki found Granity awake with an interesting look on her face, he signals her to follow him. She did though uncertain of what he wanted.<p>

"What is it?"

"I had another vision last night, this time the phoenix told me how to win but I need to train with Holly."

"With Holly?" Granity looked very perplexed, the girl was fairly weak as far as humans went she had no idea why he would need to train with her.

"Yes, apparently she has more power then just with the magic stones. She hasn't tried to use it so far. That's why I need to train with her. But we need some help. Suezo never lets her out of his sight for long… and he tends to get agitated if I'm alone with her."

"You need me to distract him?" she asked, she didn't seem thrilled.

"Yeah, I'd be in your debt if you would do so. I know he's annoying but he seems to be easily distracted by beautiful monsters." the fact that Genki called her that made her blush faintly, she seemed to ponder it for a bit then placed her hand on Genki's shoulder.

"I'm not sure I want to deal with him… what are you willing to do in return?" her grip tightened as she whispered in his ear making him shiver. Genki felt his heart pound in his chest, though young he wasn't entirely clueless. He just hoped this was just apart of her nature and not her actually hitting on him.

"Whatever you need help with in the future, I'll help you with." he knew better then to say anything you want.

"You promise?" her voice almost too quite to hear.

"Yes, I promise." she smirked,

"You know you might make a good trainer yet… you have a lot to learn about pixie types though." her voice playful now. Before he could react she leaned in and gave him a kiss. He was too shocked to even move, he just stared at her as she pulled back smirking at him. "Alright Genki I'll be your decoy. You just be a good boy and get Holly trained… I would prefer not to have my time wasted by a Suezo." she playfully moved her finger down his chest then let go of him. She walked back to camp as Genki fell to the ground in a daze. * _Did that really just happen?_ * Was all he could think as he sat there trying to calm himself.

* * *

><p>Holly noticed Granity return with out Genki, though unsure as to what happened she busied herself with breakfast. When Genki finally emerged she noticed he seemed a bit shaken but she couldn't figure out why. * <em>Had pixie gotten upset with him?<em> * She began to ponder the idea as the others got up. After breakfast Genki gained the groups attention, with a sigh he spoke of the new vision.

"Guys last night I had another vision…. this one was different. The phoenix told me how to win the battle ahead but we all need to stay here and train for awhile before we go. And I need to train with Holly."

"With Holly?" Tiger asked rather confused, he glanced to the girl who seemed nervous.

"The phoenix told me Holly has more then just the power of the magic stones. She hasn't tried to use it so far. That's why I need to train with her and see if she can't access this other power of hers. According to the phoenix it will be of help and is necessary to win this battle. I don't know what her power is though, so it may take some time." the group glanced around at each other then nodded,

"I don't see how a bit of training will hurt going into this." Hare offered, in all honesty he knew Genki found everyone's potential and brought it out, so it was only logical that he train with Holly.

"For once I agree with Hare." Tiger added gruffly. Suezo looked like he might protest until Granity walked over to him,

"Genki asked me to train with you, since you seem to be lacking some of your attacks. Perhaps I can help." Suezo's eye turned into a heart and his jaw dropped open,

"Fi…fine with me…" the group sweat dropped just watching him as Granity rolled her eyes.

"Lets go." she walked away the lovesick eyestalk bouncing after her as the others looked on.

"Alright… well I guess we'll train together then while you train with Holly." Genki nodded and looked over at Holly,

"You ready?"

"I guess…"

"Well since you need to concentrate for the magic stone lets go off a ways, less distraction should make it easier for you." She nodded and rose to follow him. The others watched them go then decided to pair off and spar.

* * *

><p>Genki stopped once he was out of earshot of the camp, he had Holly take a seat and he brought over a rock the size of a grapefruit. Placing it in front of her he sat down across from her.<p>

"Well your power seems to need mental control, and since you already had done things with stones we'll start with one to make it easier." she nodded, really appreciating his catering to her at this point. "I've seen you make the magic stone float before, try moving this one. Just take you your time there's no rush." Holly nodded and closed her eyes concentrating. She easily remembered the path she used to make the magic stone work. Genki saw a response in the stone only a few minutes later, a shimmer glazing its once matte finish. Though it didn't move, he knew she was trying. He waited patiently knowing this was a completely new thing he was asking her to do. He saw the stone move slightly giving an indication that she was close to finding her power but after a few more minutes the shimmer faded and he found Holly rubbing her temples, a throbbing in her head now a distraction. Genki rose and moved behind her to massage her shoulders. His sudden touch startling her,

"Sorry, just take a break if you have a headache." she nodded, though blushing she let him give her the massage. Genki just smiled to her as he worked at one of the kinks he found in her muscles. He knew she didn't get to relax much and that she probably had a lot of tired muscles because of it. After he finished he retrieved her headache salve for her, applying it like she had on him. She just smiled as he did.

"Genki… I'm sorry I couldn't make it move…"

"It's fine. I know it'll take time, besides it did move a little bit." she seemed surprised by this news but it made her smile. She wasn't sure she could do it at all until now.

"Can I ask something?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Genki looked up curiously.

"What happened when you asked Granity to play decoy? You seemed dazed when you came back." he blushed,

"Was it that obvious?" he rubbed the back of his head; she nodded yes. "Well it seems I don't know pixies as well as thought. She… caught me off guard."

"With what?"

"Well I'm not sure if its just in her nature or not but she was flirting with me…" his eyes showing uncertainty. Holly pondered it a moment, though Granity never seemed the type she still was a pixie and Genki was the only one she trusted.

"Pixies are very flirty by nature, though it seems out of character for her as she has never acted like a normal pixie."

"I know… she said I might be a good trainer but I had a lot to learn about pixies…"

"Well in some ways that's true. Especially since they seem to vary so much… but that is due to circumstance not nature." Genki nodded, he knew Holly had a lot of knowledge. Genki wasn't sure if he should mention the kiss or not. Holly noticed he was quite and knew something more happened, "did she do anything else Genki?" her voice gentle.

"Yeah… she kissed me before she left… part of the way she was flirting felt… like she was trying to seduce me…" he kept his gaze averted not really wanting to see her reaction. Holly was shocked to learn this; she never thought Granity would do such a thing. Especially since Holly suspected her old trainer may have tried to take advantage of her.

"That's why you were so dazed… I understand. I'm not really sure of her motives, that's not a normal trait pixies have. They are flirty but they are almost never serious. It sounds like… she might have a crush on you." Holly felt a little threatened by Granity now, especially considering how beautiful she was in comparison. _* I'm sure she will get his attention… but would he want to be with her or me… I mean she is far more beautiful…_ *

"I thought that might be the case but… I don't know what I should do about it…" Holly sighed; she sometimes hated being the voice of reason.

"Well do you care for her that way?" Genki looked up, seeing the hidden fear in her eyes for the first time. * _She's afraid? Of what? … Maybe she likes me too…_ *

"Not like that… I wouldn't mind her becoming my monster but I don't have those types of feelings for her…" he saw the fear dissipate a bit,

"Well then you will have to talk to her and let her know that." Holly seemed so calm but he knew she wasn't calm inside. The fact that he didn't care for Granity that way made her feel better though. She saw him nod and the two remained quite for a bit. "Genki I think I can try again now…"

"Alright, go on then. I know you can do it just take your time and have patience. This may take awhile." she nodded, though it seemed odd for him to say such it made her happy. The shimmer once again came back to the rocks surface as the training began once again.

* * *

><p>After two days of training Holly had made little progress, distracting thoughts kept her from holding her concentration long term. Though she had moved the rock and even made it float a little she couldn't move it very much. Genki stayed positive though believing it would just take practice. After she broke her concentration again she sigh, her back hurt and so did her head. Genki came over to give her another massage and retrieve the headache salve.<p>

"You alright?"

"Yeah… just tired… and my back and head hurt." she felt his hands gently work lower, she blushed she hadn't expected him to do that. He pushed in on her spine a little and she felt a relieving pop. She felt him massage her mid and lower back then move to her side.

"Lay down for a bit, I'm sure your back would appreciate it." he smiled coxing her to lie down. What made her blush profusely was the fact that he too laid down. Letting her use his shoulder as a pillow to rest.

"Genki we really shouldn't… I mean it's not… appropriate for us to…" she stuttered flushing at the touch of his hand on her side.

"Holly its alright, you trust me right?"

"Yes… but its still not appropriate…"

"Holly, I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to alright. Just rest for a bit, you could use it. We've been at this for hours." Holly couldn't help but think he might be trying to hit on her but wasn't sure. She stayed quite just resting next to him. Her back felt much better after that massage but the pounding in her head remained. The distracting thoughts returned and made her sigh in frustration. * _Why do I think such things? *_ Genki heard her sigh and couldn't help but be curious. He knew she was distracted but he wasn't sure by what. "Holly is everything alright?"

"Yes I'm fine… just frustrated."

"Don't worry so much, things will come to you in time."

"Its not just that…." she regretted saying that as she knew he would probe further now that he had an opportunity.

"What's is it then? I know you have been distracted all day… what's bothering you?" Holly remained silent, she didn't really want to confess to him what her thoughts were drifting to but she saw no way out without lying to him.

"It's just… my mind keeps wondering. Ever since you told me what Granity did, I've been thinking about why she would do that; and what could happen because of what she feels for you." Now Genki wasn't entirely clueless, her fear before told him she indeed cared for him. His mind put the pieces together fairly quickly making him unsure of his next move.

"Holly, are you worried I will fall for her or that we will… do something we shouldn't?" Holly bit her lip, the fact that he was almost on target bothered her.

"Something like that… it's not…normal for a human and a monster to become more then friends…."

"I kind of figured that… especially since I have never seen a monster care for a human that way." he sighed, "what makes you think I will fall for her?"

"You said before she was trying to seduce you… you might have trouble saying no if she does it again…"

"I have no intention of letting her do that, nor do I plan to give her an opportunity to do so." his voice strong yet soft, Holly looked over at him now finding him looking at the sky. She could tell he was very determined. He glanced over at her and smiled, "You feel better now?"

"A bit yes… thank you…" he hesitated a moment before making his next statement.

"You know… you don't have to be afraid to let me know when you don't like something. I know you were afraid before, though I'm not sure what you were afraid of. I could see it in your eyes when I told you about Granity." he could see her blush out of embarrassment.

"Sorry I just… I didn't want to seem like I was jealous and trying to keep you from her."

"I wouldn't have thought that Holly. Besides… even though its just a hunch I have a feeling you care for me more then you are willing to admit." with that he looked away again staring a the sky. He was aware she was bright red now; he could feel her muscles tense as she lay next to him. * _Guess my hunch was right…_ * he remained silent, he figured if Holly had a retort or confirmation she would tell him. Holly said nothing for the longest time, her mind racing to find a response to his simple statement. She noticed he too was blushing though it was not as bad as her own blush. Though he was relaxed next to her she could feel his heart pounding along side her own.

"Genki…"

"Yeah?" he glanced over at her seeing a shy glance cast at him.

"Do you… care for me?" he stared at her a moment not expecting that response but then smiled gently,

"Yeah I do… that's why I was upset when Granity did that… I didn't want attention from her…"he saw Holly look into his eyes, she seemed to be searching for something. He leaned forward whispering to her alone, "but I do want attention from you…" the simple statement hit home and made Holly turn a wonderful shade of red as his own cheeks tinted. He saw both a look of comprehension and a look of yearning pass through her eyes. He smiled and decided to try something, hoping he had made the right guess as to what that yearning was. He leaned forward carefully and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He heard her gasp in surprise but she made no move to stop him. Taking this as a good sign he continued to kiss her, staying gentle for now. Holly soon found herself in Genki's arms as the pair began to kiss with more vigor. Genki soon parted from her though, the need for air driving him away for now. Holly panted as she tried to comprehend everything that had happened. She never thought he would be this bold, but then she had never trusted him enough to tell him her feelings before either. The realization that their relationship was forever changed hit her, but it made her feel better knowing he wanted to be with her. She shifted slightly, though blushing she moved the lay her head on his chest. Genki accepted this easily, moving his arm around her waist to hold her.

"Thank you Genki… I wasn't certain you would understand my feelings… but I'm glad you do and feel the same way." he grinned,

"You could have said something sooner you know. I didn't think you were interested in having a boyfriend. Atleast you never showed any interest in it. Even when Colt tried to talk to you about it." Holly smiled,

"Yes well Colt and I aren't on the same page with the guys we prefer. We don't get much time alone… so it was hard to try and tell you."

"That doesn't surprise me. Yeah I know; we should fine away to have some time together more often."

"Yeah… I'd really like that Genki…" he smiled,

"Then I'll find a way to do it." the couple lay together for awhile longer just enjoying their time. After a bit though Holly shifted again, she moved to kiss him. Genki eagerly accepted the kiss and returned it. After a bit of making out the pair decided to train again.

* * *

><p>Holly progressed greatly in the next couple of days, though worried about the village she knew they couldn't help till she could use her ability. Genki had discovered that her abilities were more telekinetic then he first thought. The movement of the stone came from her telekinetic abilities and not just the stone its self. He also theorized that the magic stone enhanced her abilities at the time because it was a power source its self. On their last day of training Genki got Holly to be able to pick items up and even stop multiple items that were thrown at her. Using her abilities long term left her drained and gave her a headache though. She after some training the couple took some time to themselves. Genki let her rest with him as he leaned against a tree; he enjoyed being able to hold her close.<p>

"Are you feeling any better."

"Some… my head still hurts but its not as bad now. Thank you… I know it makes training hard when I can't keep up."

"Its fine… I know it drains you. After all you aren't used to using your power yet." she nodded, remaining silent. Genki smiled and leaned in to kiss her, Holly smiled into the kiss and returned it, grateful for the distraction and for his love. The couples kissing became more heated until Holly broke it off panting. She gave Genki a shy look that had a mix of knowing in it. He raised a brow in confusion but said nothing.

"Genki… before we go save those people there is something I would like to do with you… the others should be busy awhile right?" they both knew they were off gathering supplies it would take most of the day to do so.

"Yeah they should be… why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to make sure." she gave him a smile; he could see something new in her smile. It excited him though he didn't know what it was. She dragged him to his feet and took him into a nearby thicket for some privacy. He obeyed her wishes hoping he was thinking the same thing she was. Coaxing him to lay down Holly began to kiss him; the kiss differed from the last though. This one was filled with need and desire. Genki panted as she broke the kiss giving him a shy smile. "Genki… I want to give you something just incase we fail. I don't want it taken from me." Genki gave her a look of confusion; he obviously hadn't caught the meaning of her statement.

"What is it you want to give me?" she smiled chuckling at his innocence, leaning forward she whispered.

"I think you know. Think back to your first vision what did he do to me?" she enjoyed playing with him a little. Genki's eyes widened and he stared at her in disbelief.

"Holly… are you saying you want to… make love?" his voice filled with uncertainty.

"Yes, I don't want him to have my virginity… I want to give it to you."

"Are you sure, we don't know that we will fail you know…"

"I know but I still want to do this." she pulled him into an embrace, her hand moving along his side and back. "Please let me do this… you want to don't you?"

"Yeah I want to… I just want to make sure you don't end up regretting it. I wouldn't want you to feel pressured to do this then regret the decision later."

"I won't regret it, I promise. I love you Genki… I want to do this with you." he saw the decision and determination in her eyes then smiled.

"Alright, if you are sure of this… then I won't stop you." His hand wondered to her side, he was being careful making sure she really wanted this. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, this time he let his own hunger enter the kiss. His hands moving to explore her body, as she moved to remove his shirt. She found that he was very lean and knew how he could carry her so easily now. Genki seemed to enjoy the attention she gave him, and with a little coaxing his hands moved over her abdomen and chest. Holly already knew she would have to guide him; he seemed very nervous and still unsure of this decision. Soon Genki began to remove her vest and tunic, Holly could only smile seeing him so nervous. But she was patient and after awhile he took her shirt off. Genki seemed content to take things slowly, Holly decided it was probably better to do that even though her instincts were screaming at her. Her hands set about undoing the belt he always wore, after a bit of a fight she got it undone and began to unbutton his pants. Genki turned red as she did but decided to distract himself by attempting to remove her bra. Holly was amused by his struggle and was going to offer him help but he finally got it lose. Her face glowed with the tint of a blush as his hand moved over her naked breast. He seemed to be trying to be respectful though he was clearly fascinated and curious. He cupped on of her breasts in his hand and applied gentle pressure, Holly moaned under his touch making him smile. He slowly massaged her left breast as his mouth moved to suck at the peak of its twin. Genki allowed his instincts to guide him, as he had no experience to draw from. He felt Holly reach inside his pants, her touch making him moan into her chest. After awhile Genki moved his hands down her stomach to her hips and thighs. He wasn't sure how fast she wanted to move but he hoped he was going the right pace. He took notice to Holly stripping his pants off and decided that was an invitation to move to unknown parts. His fingers moved along her inner thighs giving her plenty of notice before he moved up to her groin. Holly moaned out as he touched her through her thick pants, she knew it would be a lot better when those confining clothes were off of her. Genki moved to undo her pants as she moved her hand over his bulge. Genki moaned as he tried to keep focused on his task at hand. It didn't take long for him to remove her pants, his hand moving over her hidden area again resulting in pleasure for her. Holly slipped her hand in his underwear and soon he found himself bare. Following her lead he removed her panties, his fingers carefully moving over her soft flesh. Holly was already soaked and she needed little more then this touch to send her over the edge. Unable to hold back to Genki's slow pace anymore she finally spoke up.

"Please… I need you… in me Genki…" her voice breathy as she spoke between moans. Genki didn't need to be told twice he moved into position with her aiding him. Within moments he was within her, feeling the barrier within break as he pushed in, he waited for her to be all right. Holly bucked her hips after a few minutes; Genki took this as his queue and began to thrust. The couple reveled in their love making, trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Each knew they wouldn't get very many chances to enjoy each other, not with their guardians around.

* * *

><p>Tiger had finished before the others and sought out their pair to see how the training was going. A scent on the wind made him stop, he knew what that meant and it made him freeze in sheer surprise. After a few moments he smirked to himself and mumbled,<p>

"Its about time kid…" before turning and walking back to camp. Tiger was all for those two being together and he knew they had few chances if any to build a relationship. Especially since Suezo constantly interfered. He took the extra time to get some rest before the others returned. "Hopefully I can keep them at bay for awhile. Those two deserve to have some time alone."

* * *

><p>Genki lay next to Holly resting, he enjoyed just having her in his arms. Feeling so much closer to her after they had made love. Holly had her head on his chest listening to his heartbeat as it slowed form its frantic pace to a normal one. She cherished her time with him now but knew they would have to return to camp soon. She sighed, she wanted to stay by his side but she knew Suezo would have nothing of that. In fact he would probably have a heart attack if he knew of their moment together as one.<p>

"Hey Genki… after we beat this new enemy… even though it'll be hard… I'd like use to become closer and have a real relationship."

"I don't see that being a problem. Do you think Suezo will have kittens over this though?"

"Oh I think he'd give birth to a cow but I will convince him some how."

"If you can convince him then I am all for it. I just don't want to die…"

"Atleast you'll die a happy man now right." she smiled playfully to him. He smirked and moved to kiss her,

"Oh a very happy man now that I have tasted your lips." Genki replied just as playfully but it caused them both to blush. Neither imagined having this type of conversation before, but it seems they matured during their time together.

* * *

><p>By the time the couple returned Suezo was on the ground smoldering, a very upset pixie hybrid glaring at his carcass. Tiger and Hare were fighting off in the corner with golem looking on in distress and Mocchi was taking a nap, some how sleeping through the ruckus. Genki sighed along side Holly, nothing ever went well for long in their group. Granity noticed the pair first and spoke up.<p>

"It's about time you two… I hope you have something to show for all the time you spent training." Suezo was brought back to life by that one sentence and immediately hopped over to his trainer bawling that he thought she had gotten lost or attacked. Holly sweated but assured him she was fine as Golem pinned the fighting duo to the ground.

"Granity we do have something to show. The training wasn't wasted."

"Lets see it… oh… well when ever he stops…" she sweated seeing hoe Suezo was acting and hearing his complaints about her being mean. Genki sweat dropped seeing this,

"I hope he wasn't too much trouble…"

"You owe me for this one… after what he attempted to do."

"Oh no… do I even want to know…"

"He is such a pervert."

"Yeah that's normal for him… though he would have kittens if Holly ever became perverted…"

"Yeah I can see that…" Suezo finally calmed down and Genki retrieved a few rocks, Holy showed them her ability to move them and then to stop them as Genki threw them at her. Then she showed she could pick up other small objects that were not stone. Genki caught her as she almost fell and helped her sit down. He knew this demonstration, after everything else today, had drained her again.

"Are you alright?" Suezo was instantly at her side as Genki went to get her some tea. She smiled accepting the tea before replying.

"I'll be fine. It was a long day is all. It took me awhile to be able to do any of that so I used a lot of energy today. I will be fine tomorrow after I have rested." Suezo looked skeptical a moment but then decided to leave it be.

"So tomorrow is the day." hare stated, glancing around the group seeing nods.

"We'll win for sure, remember we have the phoenix on our side." Genki called enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" the other replied, they all knew he was right and it made their worries diminish. The group settled in after dinner, they wanted to be rested for their battle. Holly and Genki slept near each other, Tiger smirked knowing they were a lot closer now then they had been.

* * *

><p>Morning found the group rested and ready to go, Granity scouted ahead but found nothing new to report. Once everyone was fed they made their way to the village. Genki kept the phoenixes words in mind as he walked. He knew Holly and he now had the type of relationship the phoenix had spoken of, but he didn't know what to do. <em>* I hope when the time comes we both know what to do just like he said… otherwise we might be in trouble.<em> * He glanced at Holly to find her looking over at him; she had the same fears running through her head. The pair nodded to each other and continued their hike.

* * *

><p>When they arrived the found the village surrounded, the baddies seemed to be drowsy but that didn't mean they were weak. The group did a split second attack sneaking in as close as they could, Granity drew attention in the air and the others used it as cover to get closer before attacking. Holly used her new found powers to block several fireballs. Though she hadn't realized she could do it, her instincts kicked in and she automatically tried. Overjoyed by this discovery she helped the others fight the salamanders. They had them beat down and on the run in no time. Holly saw a blue flash from the corner of her eye and instinctively put her protection around Genki. It didn't block the entire blast but it saved his life. Genki was blown back, but soon returned to his feet ready for more. Holly was at his side ready to help him, for the first time she felt no fear in battle at all. The Titan easily wielded the blue flames, surrounding them. Granity threw up her wall of fire just in time to block the flames from consuming the monsters. To Genki and Holly's horror though the barrier she used did not hold. Overpowered it broke with a brilliant flash and the flames consumed the area they resided in.<p>

"Suezo!"

"Mocchi! No!" Genki was now enraged by the brutality this monster put forth. "Phoenix help us…" he mumbled, Holly glanced at him and regained her composer.

"Please help us…" she spoke softly, soon she saw a fire in Genki's eyes. Flames shot forth from the staff again this time consuming the titan who cried out in surprise and agony. The flames solidified and formed a Blue Guaruda, clad in his pale armor. He chuckled and stared at the couple with his icy cold eyes.

"Its time for my revenge! Tell me where my sword lies or face the penalty of death!"

"Sword?" Genki spoke confused, Holly looked just as confused.

"Yes, I know you have stolen it. I will not allow you to keep my most precious possession!"

"We know nothing of your sword."

"Yes, this is the first we have heard of it… or seen a monster like you."

"Lies!" With a flap of his wings a wave of fire cascaded their way. Holly threw her hands out in front of her using her ability to block it. But each wave took more and more of her precious energy. Genki's' body began to glow, his energy building as he prepared to help her. Soon Holly found energy surging through her being allowing her to push the fire back. The victory was only temporary though, as the Blue Guaruda found a weak point and exploited it. Genki felt his body burning, the flames causing him sheer agony as he tried to dowse them. Failing in that regard he got to his feet as the Blue Gauruda was about to attack. Holly felt the same pain, but unlike Genki she wasn't as dazed. Using her powers she picked up a spearhead and thrust it between his armor. The monster cried out in pain as he stumbled back. In a simple movement of his wings he sent fire pouring towards Genki. Holly had little strength left and couldn't hold her power in place. She felt the flames sheering her flesh again, pain surging through her so much she couldn't even scream. Before she could pass out though the flames and pain vanished. She heard their opponent cry out in agony and saw him stumble back; he seemed desperate to flee now. She glanced to where Genki had been and found him unconscious; standing in front of him was a normal Gauruda who seemed quite upset. With a swift movement he was upon his counterpart; his sword embedded in within the chest of his blue mirror image. His opponent had only a moment to cry out before becoming a lost disc. The Gauruda put his sword away then walked over and picked the wounded boy up. He walked toward Holly who seemed uncertain of his presence. But as soon as he put the boy down she tended to her comrade rather then worry about their new friend.

"You have done very well Holly. Your training has yielded great results." she looked into the monsters eyes,

"Phoenix?"

"Yes it is I. I am only using this form for now. Genki gave me the power to do so, but you gave me the form."

"I did?"

"Yes, you have great potential dear one. But it will take time for your power to mature fully. The training was not just for you, but for him as well."

"What do you mean?"

"He needed to learn patience, understanding, and caring on a new level. He also needed to learn diligence and love. You taught him all those things as he taught you how to be courageous, confident, and battle ready." he smiled, "you have done very well both of you. Do not worry… you friends are safe. Now build your relationship and learn form each other, you will need each other again in the future." With that he vanished into Genki. Moments later Genki woke and the fires around them died.

* * *

><p>"Holly!" Suezo called hopping to her side as fast as he could.<p>

"You did it!" Tiger smiled, "you both really did it."

"Actually we had some help from the phoenix…"

"The phoenix?"

"Yeah, he used Genki's energy and my power to manifest and help fight the Blue Guaruda."

"Wow… is that why we blacked out…"

"Must be… after all he is within us. I don't think he can manifest when we are conscious very well." hare began to ponder.

"I don't think it matters." Genki spoke up as he got to his feet, "all that matters is everyone is safe and we won."

"Yeah!" the group cried, making the boy smirk. He knew things would be different from this time on, especially between him and Holly.

"Lets see if the villagers need any help." Holly suggested, the others turned to look at her and nodded.

"By the way how did you guys escape?" Genki asked as they walked towards the villagers.

"Oh Suezo actually managed to teleport us in the nick of time." Holly and Genki looked at each other then laughed. Somehow they could believe that it was at the last second.

"Suezo get off of me! *_**ZAP!***_ " Everyone knew that meant Suezo was bothering their friend again.

"Lets go before he gets killed." Holly rolled her eyes before grabbing Genki's hand and dragging him along. The others followed knowing exactly what she meant. Genki smiled as he followed knowing this was the beginning of a whole different type of adventure.

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><p><em>AAN: OMG I finally finished it…. its amazing! Nearly 21 pages long…sorry if the last two pages felt rushed. Hope you all enjoyed it! I will hopefully have a new chapter up soon.<em>


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